Method of making reinforced handles.



- v E. O. HOLTON.

METHOD OF MAKING REINFORCED HANDLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1 1908-.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

[/vuamor. Edwin al /alarm UNITED s'rarss PATENT, oFFIcE.

EDWIN C. HOLTON, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HOLTON-LABBOTT MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTSLA CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MAKING BEI IINFORCED HANDLES.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Application filed May 1, 1908. Serial N 9. 430,315.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN C. HOLTON, of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Reinforced Handles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the production of a handle or hand wheel for valves, brakes, presses, steering gears, doors and the like of which the body is of a material that will not readily conduct heat and is comparatively light and inexpensive, and which is reinforced with a tough and relatively infrangible material to resist thetendency of the same to split. Handles forsteam valves must be poor conductors of heat, so as to avoid burning of the hands in opening and closing the valves, while the wheels-or handles for brakes, presses, steering gears, etc.,

should be light in weight. In all such handles the question of expense is an' important one, and it is necessary that they be as inexpensive as possible. The material which best answers these requirements is Wood, but

this material when fashioned in the form of a wheel or circular disk very readily splits. Metal of course is tough and ordinarily free from tendency to split, but its heat-conducting properties make it unsuitable for use as a valve handle, and itsweight and cost prohibit its use in the other relations named. Accordingly the article produced by my invention is one which combines the qualities of wood and metal, using the one for its heat-insulating properties, lightness and low cost, and the other to reinforce the Wood and prevent breaking and splitting thereof. I do not wish it understood, however, that I confine myself to the use of wood and metal in. making the composite reinforced handle, as other materials having similar 1properties may equally well be used, but refer to these particular substances in the following description as types of what may be used rather than as limitations to anything which must be used, and to avoid prolixity.

The invention consists .in the method of producing a handle made principally of a light inexpensive and heat-insulating ma terial combined with a tough and relatively infrangible binder to tie the parts together and resist tendency of the same to break and separate which is in the body of the handle and finished in one operation so as to be ready for its intended use.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of the apparatus employed 1n practising the method of my inventlon, showing also the article produced thereby. Fig. 2 represents a cross-sectional View of the same on line 22 ofvFig. 1. Fig. 3 representsa cross-section of the blank forming the body of the article which constitutes part ofthe invention. Fig. 4 represents a cross-section of the completed handle, both these latter .sectionsbeing taken one plane at right angles to that of line 22. Fig. 5 represents a cross-section of the handle, showing the same provided with a hard metal thimble or lining for the spindle or shank socket. Fig. 6 representsa perspective view of the thimble or lining detached. Fig. 7 represents a perspective View of the base andstud which form part of the mold whereby the metallic binder is cast into the body of the handle or wheel. Fig. 8 represents a perspective view. of a disk adapted to form a facing for the center of the reinforcing binder to receive a name impression. Fig. 9 represents a fragmentary sectional elevation, illustrating the manner of assembling the handle blank and facing disk with the base of the mold prior to flowing in thereinforcing metal.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The article which constitutes one part of the. present invention is here shown as a handle for a valve, and consists of a body 1 of some material which will not readily conduct heat, and is comparatively inexpensive, such as wood, papier mach, vulcanite or the like, but preferably wood. This body has a centralaxial aperture 2 from which extend holes or passages 3 and 3 4 is a lateral groove cut into the body from the aperture between the ends of the latter and extending far enough into the body to intersect the holes 3 and 3. These holes extend from the aperture near one end thereof, or near one face of the handle body toward the periphery of the handle, and terminate at widely separated points as near the outer periphery as is practicable. They are arranged so as to make oblique angles with the axis of the handle, that is, they extend on a slant with respect to the horizontal when the handle is so placed that its axis is vertical. In the form shown, there are two pairs of holes, those designated by 3 extending from opposite sides of the aperture near the bottom .of the handle, and rising on a slant toward the opposite sides of the handle, while the other pair of holes designated by 3 are at right angles to the holes 3 and slant downward from near the upper end of the central aperture toward the lower face of the handle, these holes being shown in section in Figs. 2 and 5, while the holes 3 are shown sectionally in Figs. 3 and 4c. The number and arrangement of the holes or passages is not, however, at all material, since they may be arranged in regular or irregular order, and may be radial or not, as desired, it being only necessary that the holes should open into the central aperture and extend as nearly as possible to the outer periphery of the handle. It is also desirable that some of the holes should slant upward, and others downward so that the metal piece to be cast in them may make as firm a bond as possible between the various parts of the handle. A slant of some character is highly desirable, and almost essential, so that the metal which is run into the holes may fill the same solidly from side to side as far as itmay extend and prevent the formation of blow holes and air pockets in the metal casting. The handle blank shown in Fig. 3 is made into the complete handle of Figs. 2 and 4 by flowing molten metal into the internal openings and passages.

The apparatus which I find best adapted for quickly and economically casting the metal binder in place is that here illustrated, and consists essentially of a base 5 having a stud 6 and a cover 7 formedwith a pouring passage or sprue hole 8 and a vent 9. These parts are maintained in proper relation to one another by securing the base plate 5 and stud upon a bed 10 by means of a screw 11 or other suitable fastening, and mounting the covering 7 in a plate 12 which is pivoted at 13 to a standard 1+1: rising from one side of the bed plate 10. The stud 6 is of the identical shape and size of the" end of the shank or valve stem which the handle is designed to fit, and is located centrally upon the plate 5, being preferably formed integral therewith. This plate is of a diameter greater than that of the lower end of the aperture or recess 2 so that when the handle blank is placed upon it, as shown in Fig. 2, the flat upper surface extends completely across and closes the aperture.

Centering springs 15 are provided for position ng the handle when it is placed upon the base 5 so that the stud 6 is contained centrally within the aperture. These springs rest 'upon the bed 10 and are adjustable to accommodate handles of different sizes, being preferably provided with bases 16 having slots 17 to receive clamping screws 18.

In providing the handle with its reinforcing insert, it is placed between the springs 15 so as to rest upon the base 5. The plate 12 carrying the cover 7 is then swung over the handle until it rests on the upper face thereof and completely closes the upper end of the aperture, except for the small openings made by the lower ends of the pouring and vent passages. This cover is made as a block having considerable depth, and has a central cavity 19 in its bottom to receive the end of the stud 6. It is mounted rotatably in the plate 12, being secured therein by a collar or nut 20 surrounding the block on the under side of the plate, and it has screwed into its upper part a post 21 provided with a'handle 22 by which it may be rotated, and by which also the plate 12 may be tipped up to permit removal of the completed handle and substitution of a handle blank; and when thus tipped at this angle, the ingot or cooled over-fiowage in the sprue and vent holes 8 and 9 will drop out by gravitation.

\Vhen a handle blank is positioned and held firmly between the cover block 7 and base 5, the molten material to fill the internal spaces is poured into the passage 8 and continuously supplied until the surplus rises into the vent passage 9. This causes the metal to fill the central aperture entirely around the stud and flow into the lateral holes or passages 3 and 3. By reason of the slope of the latter, the metal as it flows into them does so progressively, and before any particles of the metal reach the extreme end 7 of the passage, the metal fills that part of the passage in which it is contained solidly from side to side, and any air which may be trapped in the passages is driven before the metal so that the arms or bars formed by the hardening thereof are continuous without blow holes or air pockets. That is, if the holes or passages were horizontal, it might happen in some instances that the metal would flow into them without occupying the full cross-section thereof, and would trap quantities of air between their ends, thus either separating fragments of the metal from each other, or preventing the metallic bars or arms being formed of the full width of the passages, and so weakening these arms.

After the spaces within the handle have become full, the cover block 7 is given a slight twist sullicient to cut oil the metal in the passages 8 and 9 from that in the aperture or recess 2, the plate 12 is swung back upon its pivot, and the handle lifted from the plate 5 and stud 6. The handle is then complete, containing a metal binder or spider which has a central hub, and radiating arms or bars integrally united with the central hub at their ends, and intermediately by the flange 23 which is formed by the metal entering the groove 4. The central part contains a socket which is shaped so thatit will exactly fit the stem for which the handle is designed, while its ends are finis'hedi ofl' smoothly and flush with the adjacent surfaces of the handle body. Thus the hinder or reinforce is cast into the handle and finished off without the necessity of subsequent filing, fitting and plating or polishing. By this process the labor and cost of filing and fitting each valve spindles end or shank to the ordinary valve handle socket is avoided.

The metal which is used to make the reinforce is of a character that will melt at so low a temperature as not to seriously injure the body of the handle by burning. Such metal may be lead, Babbitt, type metal, solder or the like, or any suitable substance which has the property of changing from a fluid to a solid and tough condition maybe employed. I find, however, that for practical purposes, Babbitt is the most suitable of all possible substances.

In case additional reinforcement for the socket of the handle may be desired, I cast into the latter a thimble or lining 24 of hard metal. This thimble is shaped to fit the stud 6, and is slipped upon the'latter before the fluid metal is poured into the aperture of the handle. When the fluid metal is poured in it closely surrounds the thimble and embeds it, as shown in Fig. 5. It may sometimes be desirable to stamp the makers name upon the metal filling around the bottom of the aperture, and to give such a stamped impression sufficient permanency, I find it convenient to use the disk 25 which is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. This disk is of such a diameter that it will enter the end of the recess 2, as shown in Fig. 9, and has tongues or lugs 26 turned up from a central opening. The turning up of the lugs provides an opening which enables the disk to be slipped over the stud 10, and to lie upon the base plate 5, while they also provide a bond for securing the disk to the metal filling, since these tongues are embedded in the filling.

1 claim 1. The method of making a reinforced handle, which consists in forming a handle blank with a central recess and outwardly extending holes or passages communicating with said recess, placing the blank so as to surround a stud having the form and size of the shank on which the blank is to fit, pouring molten metal into the cavity and passages, and removing the handle with its metal filling from the stud.

2. The method of making a reinforced handle, which consists in closing the end of the central aperture of acentrally apertured and laterally recessed non-metallic blank, placing a studhaving the form and size of the stem or shank to which the handle is to be applied in the central aperture, and pouring molten metal into the aperture around the stud, whereby a metal insert, fitted to such shank, is united to the handle.

3. The method of making a reinforced handle, which consists in placing a centrally apertured and laterally recessed non-metallic blank so as to contain Within the central aperture a stud having the same section as the stem or shank to which the handle is to be applied, closing both ends of said aperture except for a sprue hole and a vent, and pouring fluid metalinto the sprue hole, whereby a metal binder finished to fit such stem or shank is cast in the handle in a single operation.

4. The method of making a reinforced handle, which consists in providing a blank having a central aperture and connected lateral chambers, closing both ends of the central aperture, placing a stud, shaped.

similarly to the stem or shank which the handle is designed to fit, through such aperture, pouring molten metal into the central aperture around said stud and into the chambers and removing the end closures and central stud, whereby a cast metal binder having lateral arms and-a hub with a socket fitting the stem or shank is set in the handle and finished inone operation.

5. The method of making a reinforced handle, which consists in providing a blank having an aperture through its center and holes leading from said aperture toward the periphery of the blank, placing the blank on a plate so as to close the lower end of the central aperture and locating a stud, shaped to correspond with a valve stem or shank, in the center of the aperture, placing a cover having a pouring hole over the upper end of. the-aperture, pouring molten metal through the pouring hole, and removing said cover, stud and plate.

6. The method of making a reinforced handle, which consists in providing a blank having an aperture through its center and holes leading from said aperture toward the periphery of the blank, placing the blank onv a plate so as to close the lower end of the central aperture and locating a stud, shaped to correspond with a valve or shank, in the center of the aperture, placing a 1'0- tatable cover, having a pouring passage and a vent, over the upper end of the aperture, pouring molten metal through such passage until the metal appears at,the vent, and rotating said cover sufiiciently to cut oil the united metallic internal binding members,

which consists in making a recess in the cen ter of the handle, boring holes extending from said recess toward the periphery of the handle beyond the boundaries of the central recess, on an oblique angle with respect to the axis of the handle, placing the handle with its axis vertical, and pouring molten metal into the recess and connected holes;

the obliquity of the latter enabling the metal to occupy the full width of the holes.

9. The method of making a handle with united metallic internal binding members, which consists in making a recess in the center of the handle, boring holes extending from said recess toward the periphery of the handle beyond the outermost boundaries of the recess, placing the handle so that the holes slant relatively to the horizontal, and pouring molten metal into the recess and holes so as to progressively occupy the latter without formation of air pockets.

10. The method of binding the parts of a handle together so as to prevent splitting thereof, consisting in making'in the handle a central aperture and chambers extending from the aperture to diverse points near the outer surfaces thereof, placing at one end of the aperture a disk having anchoring wings extending thereinto, pouring into such chambers, in a fluid condition, a material having the capacity of hardening and becoming tough, and allowing such material to become hard and tough, so as to produce a binder having united arms extending approximately to the outermost parts of the handle. l

11. -The method of binding the parts of a handle together to prevent splitting and separation thereof, which consists in axially aperturing the handle, boring holes from near one end of the aperture to separated points near the periphery and opposite face of the handle, pouring into the aperture and holes, in a fluid condition, a material having the properties of becoming hard and tough, and permitting such material to harden so as to produce a binder having a central portion in the aperture and integrally united arms in the holes.

12. The method of binding the parts of a handle together to prevent splitting and separation thereof, which consists in axially aperturing the handle, boring holes from the aperture near the difierent ends thereof on opposite slants to points near the periphery and the respectively opposite faces of the handle, pouring into the aperture and holes, in a fluid condition, a material having the properties of becoming hard and tough, and permitting such material to' harden, so as to produce a binder having a central portion in the aperture and integrally united arms in the holes.

13. The method of binding the parts of a handle together to prevent splitting and separation thereof, which consists in axially aperturing the handle, boring holes from near one end of the aperture to separated points near the periphery and opposite face of the handle, cutting a lateral groove between the ends of the aperture intersecting the holes, pouring into the aperture, groove and holes, in a fluid condition, a material having the properties of becoming hard and tough, and permitting such material to harden, so as to produce a binder having a cen tral flanged portion in the aperture and integrally united arms in the holes.

1d. The method of making a reinforced handle, which consists in placing a handle blank having a central aperture and holes extending outwardly from said aperture upon a plate from which rises a stud shaped like the end of the shank to which'the han dle is to be applied, so that the upper su face of said plate closes one end of the aperture and the stud projects through the center of the aperture, placing over the other end of the aperture and stud a cover having a pouring passage, and pouring molten metal through such passage.

15. The method of making a reinforced handle, which consists in placing a handle blank having a central aperture and holes extending outwardl from said aperture upon a plate from w ich risesa stud shaped like the end of the shank to which the handle is to be applied, so that the upper .surface of said plate closes one end of the aperture and the stud projects through the center of the aperture, slipping a metallic thimble, shaped to fit the stud, over the stud, placing over the other end of the aperture and stud a cover having a pouring passage, pouring ,molten metal through such passage into the aperture around the .thimble, removing the cover, and removing the handle with its metal in sort and thimble from the stud.

16. The method of making a reinforced handle, which consists in providing a base having a fiat upper surface and a stud rising therefrom, placing on said base a disk centrally perforated to fit the stud and having locking wings, setting a handle blank, having a central aperture and lateral holes or passages, upon said base and centering it so that the stud enters the center of the recess and the disk is contained in one end thereof, and pouring melted metal into the aperture and holes, embedding the locking Wings therein.

In testimony whereofl have aflixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN G. HOLTON. VVit-nesses P. W. PEZZE'I'II, ARTHUR H. BROWN. 

